The crisis within the Labour Party (LP) has escalated, with the Senator Nneadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee insisting on the prosecution of the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, and other national officers for perjury, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.
At a press conference in Abuja on Monday, March 24, Prince Dandy Rowland of the Nigerian Corruption Watch, speaking on behalf of Usman, criticised the delay in Abure’s prosecution despite a directive from the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
“The Labour Party wishes to commend the Commissioner of Police, Legal Prosecution Section, Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Force Headquarters Abuja, FCT, in the Office of the Inspector General of Police, who wrote to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), and Minister of Justice on the 25th October, 2023, forwarding the duplicate case diary after establishing a culpable primary facie case for which the IGP authorized the prosecution of Julius Abure, Umar Farouk Ibrahim, Ojukwu Clement and Edward Nkwegu in the referenced case of perjury, forgery and criminal conspiracy,” Usman stated.
She accused Abure and Umar Farouk Ibrahim of forging a court order to unlawfully remove Oko Eze as the party’s gubernatorial candidate in Ebonyi State, despite a Supreme Court ruling affirming Eze’s candidacy.
The former Minister of Finance also criticised the delay in prosecuting Abure and his associates, arguing that it casts doubt on President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to fighting corruption.
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“This unwarranted and inexplicable delay raises serious concerns in anti-corruption circles. Nigerians are unsure how this government intends to convince the nation that it is serious about dealing with corruption and all shades of criminality,” she said.
The Caretaker Committee further alleged that Abure had been boasting about his influence within the Ministry of Justice, claiming that his sister’s position as a Permanent Secretary protected him from prosecution.
The faction further alleged that Abure had been boasting about his ability to evade prosecution due to his connections within the Ministry of Justice, particularly his sister’s role as a Permanent.
However, the Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, dismissed the Usman-led group, asserting that it no longer had any authority.
“At this moment, Labour Party has only one leadership, which is under Comrade Julius Abure. Those attempting to disrupt the ongoing reconciliation efforts are the same individuals behind this renewed crisis,” Ifoh said.
He added, “Our focus remains on moving the party forward. The antics of a few individuals determined to destabilise us will not succeed.”